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God of Music – Chapter 44: Outside, Again!! (6)

The group The ACE (Members – HyeRin, Iris : real name – Kim JinGyung) have risen as a hot star of university festivals.
They rose as a hot icon of university festivals, after a series of events of getting love calls from K university, G university and more, after they had an event in S university in Seoul with over 1 thousand audiences (estimates from S university student council). A different jazz-styled song and friendly stage manners, and pure and cute appearances have been estimated to take a role in making a storm on the internet.
The group, The ACE, debuted in October 2005 with their first album ‘You’re within me’, but…(omitted)
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(omitted)
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.The ACE has told the media that they will donate all the money they received as university scholarship, so they became even more popular with the title of ‘Thoughtful Singers who Care about University students’ who have difficulties with the expensive tuition fees.
-Quick news, Accurate news, News without manipulation, reporter Rangin.
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“Huh… huhuh… huhuhuh…”

Chairman Won JinMoon didn’t know what to say after he read the report given to him by KangYoon.

‘Should I kill this guy, or make him live?’

Chairman Won JinMoon always praised KangYoon, but currently, he was thinking such things, which was rare.

“KangYoon, no… Team Leader Lee. Y… yes. Phew, phew. No matter how low of an amount the money earned from uni festivals are… scholarship… Well, it’s only 5 million won (≈4350USD)… Yes. Please tell me the reason. Why did you do that?”

All the event costs, thrown at the scholarship!!
Thanks to all the money thrown away as scholarship money, Chairman Won JinMoon was dumbfounded, no, even his heart was pounding. He let KangYoon be in charge of everything so he couldn’t say anything, but he thought this was no good – his head was hurting.

“It’s an advertisement.”
“Advertisement? Well… Advertisement Isn’t it fine if we painted the SNS with their names?”
“It’s insufficient.”
“Insufficient? If it’s according to your plan, you made them known with the street performances in universities, and you even made them stand on university stages. Even if you want to donate some, you could have gave a proportion, but all the money? Moreover, you should have consulted the company about things related to money. Your thinkings were short in that.”
“As far as I remember, all the things related to The ACE is within my authority.”
“That’s true but… *Sigh*.”

‘All’ things related to The ACE was in KangYoon’s hands. His words were right. However, 5 million won was hurting so Chairman Won JinMoon couldn’t say nothing. Of course, it wasn’t anything large compared to the event costs MG Entertainment earned in a single event, but even so, if it was 5 million won earned by The ACE, that was different.”

“Chairman. The reason I donated all the event costs as scholarship money is to draw a bigger picture.”
“……”

Chairman stayed silent and flipped over the report. It was, in a sense, a rebellion. However, ironically, in the report were KangYoon’s plans after the donation. Chairman Won JinMoon calmed his heart down and read on.

“…In the end, it’s the cost to build a positive public opinion?”
“Yes. There were quite a few bad public opinions due to the reason that the singers who performed on the streets, The ACE, were from MG Entertainment. If we take the event costs, we might even get some adverse effects. This small amount of money is instead, poison.”
“Small amount of money, you say. Do you mean you have something bigger you’re aiming for?”
“Shouldn’t I turn the loss into profit?”

KangYoon confidently started talking about his next plans.

***

The season of festivals, May, had passed and summer came.
Although it was a season where clothes became shorter and eyes were blessed, to some, it was a ‘hot’ season where the amount of steam from one’s body increased.

“Hey,hey…… Don’t stick to me. It’s damn hot.”

Jung MinAh grumbled to Christie An who, as always, rested her head on her stomach. Due to the aftereffects of harsh practice, her body was full of steam. However, Christie An didn’t seem to mind, and rested her boiling head in to Jung MinAh’s thin waist.

“This is mine.”

In the end, Jung MinAh couldn’t win against her. No, she accepted her. It was a trace of her efforts to learn ‘leisure’ from Lee SamSoon.

“Huh? It’s Team Leader.”

When everyone was resting, KangYoon entered along with Ailee. Everyone had to get up from their comfortable lying positions.

“Just lie back down and listen comfortably.”

KangYoon also sat down himself. The girls all sat down. Of course, there were none who lied down.

“Today, I came with some good news. You should have some holiday right?”

Then, everyone’s eyes shined brightly.

“Holiday? Holiday?”

Jung MinAh showed the most fierce reaction. KangYoon smiled at her cuteness.

“It isn’t efficient to practice every day. You should rest a bit.”
““Yay!!””

All the girls said hooray in joy. In truth, to a trainee, a holiday was very rare. Even if they were given one, most of the time, they would spend it in the practice rooms. It was because they thought that if they rested, they might get taken over by the other trainees.
Of course, there was no way KangYoon wouldn’t know of this.

“Your holiday is one week. You will rest in turns in 2 groups. The first group is MinAh, HanYu, Christie; The second group is Ailee, SamSoon, and JooYeon. You will rest in turns for one week so please set your schedule well. Let’s match the time with your school holidays and… Let’s take a rest in the 4th and 5th week of July. You will have to rest so don’t even think about staying at the company.”
“Can we switch groups?”

Han JooYeon asked.

“Do whatever you want. However, you have to rest in groups of 3.”
“Yes!!”

At the talk of the joyful holiday, everyone’s expressions became brighter. Until now, they practiced without any holidays. 1 week was a huge amount of time. The girls all started chatting about what they should do in their holiday.
However, Ailee, who was quiet all the time, poked KangYoon’s waist carefully.

“What is it?”
“Can… Can I go to America during that time?”
“You can. You can do whatever you want. Just come back in time.”
“Yes!!”

When KangYoon’s permission came, Ailee’s expression, which was unchanging even at the word ‘holiday’ until now, became brighter in an instant. She was excited just thinking that she would meet her family at home. Although the holiday may be short considering that she will have to go to and from America, she was happy that she could go at all.
He left the practice room as he was done with all his business here, but Jung MinAh followed him out.

“Ahjussi.”
“Team Leader.”
“…Yes, yes. Team Leader, aren’t you going on a vacation?”

At Jung MinAh’s question, KangYoon replied after thinking for a bit.”

“I don’t know. Shouldn’t I be able to go after this work ends?”
“The work with The ACE seonbaes?”
“Yes. Why?”
“It, it’s nothing. Then are you going with your little sister?”
“I think so. What is it?”
“It’s nothing.”

Jung MinAh hurriedly went back to the practice room like that.

“What’s up with her?”

KangYoon shrugged his shoulders after looking at Jung MinAh’s inexplicable actions and headed to the liaison team office.
When KangYoon came, the liaison team was raining with phone calls. On one side, they were receiving the calls, and on the other, they were making a list.

“Yes. The calls related to The ACE are… are about that.”
“Hm… In your view, how is it?”
“Sorry?”
“Do you think there is any TV programmes that The ACE should appear on?”

Vice-Chief Kang JoonYoung panicked at the sudden question. He never expected that the topmost person in charge, KangYoon, would ask him a question directly. However, he soon sorted his thoughts and spoke.

“Most of them are entertainment programmes. ‘Running Idol’, ‘Beauty of Challenge’, and such big ones are coming in, but it’s a question whether The ACE would do well in such programmes. Oh…”

Originally, one had to speak positively to one’s superiors who were much further up the ladder. Vice-Chief Kang JoonYoung, who realized what he had just said, hurriedly closed hi mouth.

“I… I’m sorry. Without even being aware of my position, I…”
“Not at all. I also think the same.”
“Sorry?”
“First, please politely reject the TV programmes. Also, accept those centered around music programmes at night. How are we on the chart?”
“We’re within the top ten.”
“How long were we up there for?”
“For 2 weeks.”

KangYoon nodded his head in satisfaction. After the release, they were outside the top 100, however, after the street performances, they ran in reverse and now they were within the top 10. The power of SNS was frightening.

“Team Leader!! A call from the producer of Canvas.”

While KangYoon was talking with the liaison team, suddenly, a new employee spoke.

“Canvas? That’s KDC’s music concert.”

While the new employee was getting an earful from his seniors due to raising his voice, KangYoon calmly sorted out the situation.

“Accept it. However, you have to acquire enough time for 2 songs and an interview.”
“Yes!!”

The liaison team obeyed KangYoon’s orders.
And 2 weeks later.The ACE participated in the biggest music concert of KDC TV station.

***

Before the recording of Canvas, in the waiting room.
KangYoon looked for Yoon HaNa, who was in charge of presenting in Canvas. As singer, and actor, she showed a lot of musical knowledge, but with a clumsy presenting and cute appearance, she was a woman who had a lot of charm. Of course, unlike the clumsy appearance, she was famous for being picky…

“HaNa!!”
“Oppa!!”

However, KangYoon was unrestrained with her as he had known her for a long time.

“KangYoon-oppa!! It’s been a long while!! I heard you were doing well nowadays? How are you?”
“Well, I’ll live. HaNa, how are you?”
“Do you think I’m going as well as when I was with you? Ah, I don’t like my current manager. He’s the 4th, the rest all quit.”
“That’s because you’re picky.”
“Huuuuh? Picking on each other now?”

Yoon HaNa acted mad while hitting KangYoon’s arm. Of course, she was playing around. She seemed delighted in meeting KangYoon as her expression was bright.

“But you came to greet? How about the kids?”
“They’re undergoing makeup.”
“The ACE? You came with them right? They were all the rage in Twisser nowadays. I also tweeted.”

Yoon HaNa showed KangYoon her phone. Her phone was fully tweeted with the news of The ACE’s street performance. There were also, all sorts of photos of them.

“There’s a photo of you here, too, you know? Look at you controlling that mixer. Lol. Look at that huge head. *giggle*”
“What the hell is that expression.”

KangYoon conversed delightedly with the acquaintance he hadn’t met for a long time. In KangYoon’s manager days, she was a rookie, and KangYoon was a manager with experience. Thanks to that, KangYoon helped her out a lot. It was no wonder that Yoon HaNa had a positive attitude to him.
Taking back her phone, Yoon HaNa went into topic.

KangYoon didn’t hide it. To an honest person like Yoon HaNa, it was only poison to hide it. When he requested one thing to her, Yoon HaNa nodded immediately.

“You’re good since you’re honest. My manager’s always ‘no cuz this’, ‘no cuz that’… Just how many excuses does he have… It’s good to end it with a single line, right?”?
“Not everyone is like you.”
“Ah, dammit all. Anyway, I’m going to switch him.”

Exposition, Rising action, Climax, Falling action, Manager out.
Yoon HaNa delightedly insulted her manager. KangYoon just calmly listened and he went to the waiting room after that. Since his requested was as good as accepted anyway.
The rehearsal ended, and the real recording came.
KangYoon took one of the frontmost seats that the programme director had gave him. It was a good seat where he could see the musical notes the band and the singer emitted, very well.

‘Was that singer called JiWon? I think his musical notes are trembling a bit.’

He could see that red notes were slightly trembling while looking at the song and the dance. Moreover, when the trembling musical note combined with the instruments, it didn’t mix in properly. However, perhaps due to the dance being okay, the light wasn’t weak. However, it wasn’t that satisfying.

‘It’s probably better for that singer to just dance. Why live…’

While looking at the singer called JiWon, who showed a very fierce dance, KangYoon shook his head. Looking at the audience, an applause mixed with pity could be seen.
After the singer, JiWon’s, song ended, Yoon HaNa continued.

“Thank you for your song. The song this time, is from the group who are very famous in universities nowadays.”
“Ohhhhh–”

There was no way that the audience who knew all who were coming today, wouldn’t know who was next. Yoon HaNa started raising the audience’s expectations.

“They are also people who have donated all their event costs as scholarship money.”
“Waaaa!!”

Everyone cheered at this point. The recording venue of Canvas mostly had university students as audience. Everyone reacted with a seal-like applause when they heard ‘scholarship’.

“I spoke for too long. I think it’s the first time we’ve seen them in TV broadcast. I introduce to you!! The ACE!!”

With Yoon HaNa’s flashy voice, the lights became darker. The spotlight shone the center of the stage and Kim JinGyung, and Yoon HyeRin, who were wearing china-dress like clothes with one side of the legs slit, appeared.

“Wowwww—!!”

The cheers with the seal-like applause covered the venue and the title song, ‘Love of a Spring Day’ started.
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“Bwahahaha!! So what, you gave the person who intruded on the stage a candy and made them turn back?”

Conversation time after one song ended.
When Yoon HaNa asked a question relating to stage intruders, Yoon HyeRin answered shyly and laughs erupted.

“Lol, one candy, eh… it seems like that person was quite… ‘pure’. Can I ask you what kind of person…”
“He looked a little over 30.”
“That’s…”
“After that, I always keep candy in my pocket.”
“Everyone, if you want candy, then go look for Miss HyeRin of The ACE.”

When The ACE told an episode of their street performance, the audience laughed and The ACE also was joyful. Music opened their hearts and the talks about singers all made everyone joyful.

‘This is a good reaction.’

KangYoon was satisfied looking that everything was going according to plan. Now, there was one thing left.

-Hyung, I’m ready.

While KangYoon was focusing, a message arrived on his phone.

-OK.

KangYoon replied straight away, seemingly having prepared something.

“Now we have to let The ACE go.”
“Boooo–.”

The audience boo’ed as ever. However, Yoon HaNa shook her hand and spoke her prepared line.

“However, I heard that they prepared something special today for everyone.”
“Waaaaa—.”

The audience, of course, very like the word ‘special’. Yoon HaNa set up the mood.

“You can look forward to today’s stage. It’s The ACE’s stage. ‘Lovers of a Spring day’.”

With a clap, the lights became dark again. With the slow, but rhythmical piano playing, Yoon HyeRin’s voice started resounding across the stage again.

-I like – a warm spring — The beautiful you — to me —

The audience started concentrating on her voice. If the previous song was bouncy, this song was a song with an emotional slow tempo, and jazz elements.

-Like — a child — under magic–

And when Kim JinGyung’s voice flowed on the stage, the people started reacting. The song went from start to middle.

‘Now they’re doing well.’

The purple musical notes and the musical notes from the instruments weren’t things that KangYoon worried about. When they mixed well and emitted a strong white light, the people were all waving their hands. The girls were slowly conquering the stage.
The 1st verse ended, and the 2nd verse.
The harmony flowed, starting from Kim JinGyung, to Yoon HyeRin, and the crowd’s cheering increased again. The reaction wasn’t that different to the previous verse.
However, the change occurred on the climax after the chorus. Another spotlight shone on the stage. There…

-You’re– my — only happiness–

Was a male singer who received the girls’ voices. The male singer, with a weighted low voice, and livened up the mood of the song, he was…

“It’s Lee JunYeol!!”
“Lee JunYeol?!”
“Kyaaak!!”

Matching the cheers of the audience, the three spotlights on the stage shone on the three singers equally. Along with that, the magnificent moving lighter added to the magnificence and the song started flowing into a climax.

-For– the rest — I — Love You —–!!

Man and woman. When their sounds harmonized, all the audience stood up from their seats. It was a perfect harmony.

‘Good!!’

KangYoon gripped his fists. Lee JunYeol’s musical note and The ACE’s musical note harmonized perfectly and that was producing an enormous quantity of white light. The light permeated all 500 people of the audience equally and everyone raised their hands.
Today, requesting featuring from Lee JunYeol, who was also appearing on Canvas, played a crucial role. This song also, was a song which Lee JunYeol featured. This was a stage produced with meticulous calculation.
KangYoon was assured that a different future would be in front of the girls when today’s stage would be broadcasted. They would be reborn as a true popular singers, surpassing singers who were on the internet and on streets.

Korean media are sadists and want to see the celebrities suffering. Also, as mentioned in previous chapters, most of their content would get edited out due to it being boring, and cannot attract watchers. So the strategy is to go serious rather than funny.

I don’t know what Running Idol nor do I know what Beauty of Challenge is. However, the second one sure does sound like it will make them suffer and show comedic actions.

Aren’t those programs parodies of ‘Running Man’ and ‘Infinity Challenge’? Although, to be fair, during the time this novel happens, the former doesn’t exist yet. But many famous K-Pop girl group members doesn’t not sees those programs as beneath them, as these programs really help the guests’ popularity.

>“First, please politely reject the TV programmes. Also, accept those centered around music programmes at night. How are we on the chart?”

Looking at what he says, I don’t think he’s looking down on those programs at all. It’s just that The ACE is at a delicate stage in establishing their image. So far he’s shaped them to be determined musicians, the type who would sing in the street regardless of popularity or profit. It’s a kind of hipster, artist image that both supports and benefits from their choice of the unknown jazz fusion genre.

If they went on those programs, they’d definitely have nationwide recognition overnight – those programs have ridiculous viewership. But it would be short-term, and before they manage to be known for their music, counter to the image he’s working towards.